


Flower Ink, Spider Writing

by YaelaTheWordsmith



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Light Angst, Romantic Fluff, Writing on Skin, these two being the cute dorks they are
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2019-12-30 09:35:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 13,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18312959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaelaTheWordsmith/pseuds/YaelaTheWordsmith
Summary: Hitoka has a soulmate, like everyone else. He's funny and kind and great to talk to, and she's so glad that the universe chose him to be her match. But it's impossible for her to meet him before she's eighteen, so what happens when she realises who he is - and that she's going to see him at the training camp in Tokyo?Kuroo Tetsurou has a soulmate, like everyone else. She's cute and kind and great to talk to, and he wants to spend time with her more than anyone else. But he knows they can't meet till she's eighteen, so what happens when he realises she's turned up at the same training camp he's at - and that she's actively avoiding him?





	1. December 2013

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HaruK](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaruK/gifts).



> Man that's a uh typical blurb type summary
> 
> Okay so I shipped these guys in a mild kinda way before but only after they were requested by the fantastic HaruK did I realise exactly how cute they are <3  
> soooooo here's your very very very late (and still incomplete) birthday present and thanks for this pairing! updates will be short and sweet and hopefully the whole thing will be up by the end of the week, if not in the next two days.
> 
> (When they're writing to each other, the left-aligned sentences are from the person whose POV it is and the right-aligned sentences are the replies they're receiving. Also just for convenience, Hitoka is 2000-born.)
> 
> Enjoy! Comments and criticism are very much appreciated!

 

December 2013

 

*

 

_umm . . . not that i wouldn’t want to of course i’d love to but like . . . didn’t anyone tell you that personal/contact info doesn’t get transferred?? apart from age or birthday_

 

Hitoka capped the pen and tapped it against her teeth, watching the unfamiliar spidery-black writing spreading out wide and untidy along her forearm.

 

_whaT??!?!?!?! THATS SO NOT FAIR WHAT THE HELL WHO MADE THAT RULE?!?!?!?_

 

She pushed her toes into her pillow and rolled over, half giggling and half rueful on his behalf as she scribbled her reply.

 

_i dont knowwww_

_its a really stupid rule isn't it_

 

_so nothing?? i cant tell you my name?? my fone number? my address?????????_

 

_maybe try and see what happens_

 

He usually replied within a few seconds, but this time it stretched to nearly a minute before she received anything from him.

_tokyo. did you get that??_

 

_i just got tokyo and ‘did you get that’ what did you write?_

 

_name number school name email eveyrthing aghhhhhh this is so annoying_

_how did i not know about this before i feel so dumb_

 

_didn’t your parents tell you?? that it wouldn’t get through?_

 

_no . . . they prob never even thought about it_

_you know what theyre like_

 

_Yeah :( i’m sorry_

 

_aw don’t be_

_not your fault_

_i rly wanted to know your name tho_

 

_It’s okay we can make nicknames at least?? ^.^_

 

_hahaha okay sure_

_what nickname would you like_

_sweetie_

_honey_

_cutie_

_kitty_

 

Hitoka yelped, heart suddenly drumming softly in her chest.

 

_STOPPPPPP WHAT THE HECK_

 

_wowww your handwriting really went wild there_

_are you shy honeypie_

 

_STOP WITH THE NAMES YOU HORRIBLE PERSON MY MOM WILL SEE THEM!!!!_

 

_hahahahaa_

 

_I’m serioussssssssss stopppp pleaseeee_

 

_you like them don’t you_

_its okay you can admit it_

_you do i know it_

 

She couldn’t help laughing at that, but she pressed her lips together and made her answer as sharp as she could.

 

_you wish I did_

_if this is your best attempt at flirting i’m not impressed_

 

_ouchhhhh kittycat that’s cold_

 

A messy doodle of a broken heart appeared right next to her thumb, and she giggled quietly, pressing a quick finger to it before writing back.

 

_you deserve it_

 

_spunky aren’t you_

_bet you’ve got a sharp tongue_

 

_I don’t!! I’m a very quiet person okay and i try to be nice_

_I’m only mean if people reaaaally deserve it_

 

_breaking my heart again sweetie_

_okay sorry i’ll stop_

_but uh_

_did it really bother you? didnt mean it if it did_

_you kinda felt . . . idk_

_restless? jumpy? when i started it_

_so sorry if it did_

 

_. . . it didn’t_

_It made me smile_

_Sweetie_

 

_!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

_DID YOU JUST_

 

Hitoka buried her hot face in her pillow with a squeak, kicking her heels like a nine year old and fervently hoping he couldn’t feel exactly what she was feeling.

 

_OKAYYYY NO MORE SPACE ON MY ARM NOW GOTTA GO HAVE DINNER BYEEEEEEE_

 

_HEY HEY HEY NO NO NO NO_

_GET BACK HERE YOU SNEAKY THING_

_I CANT BELIEVE YOU <3 _

 

_B_

_Y_

_E_

 

_WAITTTTTTT_

_CAN WE PICK REAL NAMES SO I CAN CALL YOU SOMETHING_

_PLEASE PLEASE_

 

_okayyyy okayy_

_pick a name_

 

_Shiro ninja :3_

 

_hahahaha_

_white ninja? very original_

 

_i like it okay shut up :D_

_its better than black ninja at least_

_and you??_

 

_um . . . hana-chan?_

 

_?  why hana-chan?_

 

_the hana kanji is there in my name so_

 

_is it read as hana??_

 

_Nope sorry_

_i wouldnt be able to write it if it was right?_

 

_damn_

_okay then hana-chan_

 

_Okay then shiro-kun_

 

_ahahaha_

_hey don’t shorten my name_

 

_I dont want to write shiro ninja everytime!!_

 

 _okay okay_ _  
_ _go eat_

_talk to you later, yeah?_

 

_Yeah!_

_ <3 _

*

 

As they sat down for dinner, Hitoka’s mother gave her messy arms a wry glance. “Just because you two are getting used to each other doesn’t mean you have to send _all_ your time talking to him, you know. He’s older than you, right?”

Hitoka shifted in her seat, looking down at the table. “Two years older,” she mumbled.

“Mmm. Just don’t get carried away.” Her mother reached out to pull the rice towards herself. “ It’s still only been a few months since your thirteenth birthday . . . and you do know the fairy tales are the exception to the rule?”

“I know, okasan.”

“Not that I’m saying that your boy will end up like the Nagoya murderer or something, but just remember to be careful, okay? A fairly large proportion of soulmates don’t end up romantically involved. And I don’t want you getting hurt, physically or emotionally.”

“I’ll remember,” Hitoka replied, staring at the intertwining lines of black and blue ink mapped out on her skin, wondering just how easy that would be.


	2. February 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tetsu hun I'm sorry I love you to death  
> Also prepare for feels and make it double

February 2014

 

*

 

Tetsurou sank down onto his bed, limbs aching and eyes stinging. It had been a horribly grueling practice. Even Kai had gotten yelled at by the senpais, and the first years had all left school sullen and upset.

He reached out for a pen and flicked the desk light on. Kenma would be sleeping by now, and he wasn’t the best at reassurance anyway. But Hana might still be awake . . .

 

_Hey . . . you there?_

 

The reply appeared in minutes, the letters marching small and neat across his wrist.

 

_hi! yeah, i was just about to go to sleep_

 

_Oh okay okay_

_Sleep well then:)_

 

_. . . everything okay?_

_you don’t feel too good_

 

He snorted softly, blinking away the tears pooling in the corners of his eyes.

 

_Just a rough day at practice_

_Not a big deal_

 

_Um your definition of a rough day definitely definitely qualifies as a big deal_

_i’m really sorry you have such mean senpais_

_they’ll . . . they’ll probably meet their ends by tripping over a volleyball into the path of a truck or something because they’re such terrible players_

 

_haha_

_So cruel hana-chan_

 

_they deserve it_

_for making you cry_

 

“Crap,” Tetsurou muttered, hastily wiping his face in his sleeve.

  


_i didn’t know you could feel it_

 

_I didn’t know I could either . . . youve never cried before_

_I mean since I turned 13 and we were connected_

 

_huh_

_i guess i haven’t_

 

_Shiro? Dont cry please *sends hugs*_

_It feels horrible_

 

His choked laugh was too loud in his quiet room, and he buried his face in his knees for a long second before picking up the pen once more.

 

_im sorry_

_*accepts hugs gratefully*_

_i just_

_theyre just really horrible people_

_i really hate them_

_they always make us clean up the gym, always make us pick up the balls_ _  
_ _always yelling_

_the only thing we get to practice is picking up after them_

_2 ppl left the club just because of them_

_nekomata sensei does keep them in check a bit and so does naoki sensei but theyre not always around they cant be_

_. . . im sorry for rambling i_

 

_hey hey hey_

_its okay_

_its okay, okay?_

_theyre not gonna be around forever theyre leaving in a month_

_you won’t treat your kouhai like they do_

_And when youre in third year youlll be a super cool captin and take your school to all the championships_

 

_Thank you, Hana-chan_

 

_. . . it’s scary when you use proper punctuation_

 

_Hahaha_

_Sorry :3_

 

_Shiro_

 

_Yeah?_

 

_i know you have kenma and probably other people at school but i dont know i get the feeling you try to hold things up by yourself a lot? please dont_

_you can rely on other people_

_And on me <3 _

_youll be okay_

 

_Hana-chan_

 

_yeah?_

_oh no youre_

_youre crying a lot more??_

_should i not have said that im so sorry_

_Shiro??_

 

_Thank you_

_it really means a lot_

_um not many people tell me that so its really nice to hear that_

 

_Youre welco_

 

_hold up i should say this before i lose the nerve_

_I’m really grateful youre my soulmate youre really sweet and really kind and you just seem like an amazing person generally and i dont know what i did to deserve such a nice soulmate?? And i_

_i know we never discussed this before cuz it hasnt actually been that long since we started talking but_

_i just_

_youre just such a lovely person_

_And even if we dont end up like getting married or something i’ll just always be grateful to be able to talk to you and know you and call you a friend_

_okay im gonna stop talking now i need to blow my nose and brush my teeth and go to sleep i have a test tomorrow and_

 

_you um kinda talk a lot when youre upset don’t you <3 <3 <3 _

_thats very very kind of you to say and i feel the same way (so much! I cant tell you how much!!!)_

_and i think im really lucky too that it was you_

_i know its late and you probably need rest after a long practice so i wont go on but i really really feel the same way_

_take care, okay? good night and sweet dreams and *more hugs*_

 

_Night night Hana-chan_

_Thank you again_

 

The next day, he woke up to find that he had cheery cartoons and cheesy one liners doodled all over his thighs and stomach where only he could see them - as well as a string of tiny hearts in every colour of the rainbow right below his collarbones.

He aced his test, and was still smiling when he went to bed that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bad Nekoma senpais are canon right


	3. June 2014

June 2014

 

*

 

_ eyes? _

 

_ Brown _

 

_ yassss same _

_ hair? _

 

_ Uh blonde _

 

_ *gaspppppp* GAIJIN _

 

_ akkjhgjjk NO???? _

_ I had like one great grandmother from russia okay??? _

 

_ hnnnnn still suspicious but okay _

 

_ Your hair? _

 

_ black as night like a good japanese boy _

 

_ Oh really? Is it neat? You brush it everyday? _

 

_ . . . shut up _

 

_ Every week? _

 

_ shhhhhhhhhhh _

 

_ I knew it _

_ Good japanese boy yeah right _

_ You’re that one kid the teacher tells to get a haircut every week aren’t you _

 

_ i thought you were supposed to be nice _

 

_ Your mistake _

 

_ oH my god youre enjoying this  _

_ ok then miss smartypants _

_ height? _

 

_ . . . 150 cm _

 

_ ahahahAHAHAHA _

 

_ WHAT _

 

_ MIDGET _

 

_ GO AWAY _

_ WHAT ARE YOU TOKYO TOWER _

 

_ CLOSE BABY _

_ 188 CM _

 

_ Noooooooooooooooooo _

_ You could use me as a freaking armrest kfdhhjkhj _

 

_ Kawaii~ _

 

_ I hope fukunaga throws water on you too _

 

_ ruDE _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [fukunaga and the legendary bucket of water](https://haikyuu.fandom.com/wiki/Cats_vs_Monkeys)


	4. September 2014

September 2014

 

*

 

_you know i didnt think you were so lively when we first started talking_

_you seemed super super shy_

 

_You just bring out the worst in me don’t you_

_You should be ashamed of yourself Shiro-kun~_

 

_see that right there is what i’m talking about!!!_

 

 _Hahaha_ _  
_ _I think once_   _I_ _get to know someone pretty well I’m okay joking around_ _  
_ _Also its easier since I dont have to see you face to face_   
_And . . . I dont know its just easier with you somehow_

 

_ <3 <3 <3 i’m flattered! _

_also i can feel you blushing awww lol_

 

_See this is a prime example of bringing out the worst in me_

 

_its a talent honey i gotta refine it somehow ;)_


	5. March 2015

March 2015

 

*

_You okay?_

_yepp just got my entrance test tomorrow i’m uh pretty nervous_

_Dont worry about it you'll do great i’m sure_

_Which school? Do i know it maybe??_

_. . . hana?_

_Oh my god it doesnt even let me write the name of a school I_ **_might_ ** _get into?? This is so stupid_

_Ugh_

_Soulmate bond where art thy physics_

_Wherefore art thou like this_

_Hahahaha such a nerddd_

 

_sssshut up_

_Hehe_

_Anyway yep i’m fine just a little nervous_

_. . . okay it feels like there’s nest of worms in my stomach and i’m not even writing the test soooo i’m gonna take that with just a pinch of salt_

_How do i make you feel better_

_You want me to turn up in miyagi in a cheerleaders outfit and cheer for you outside the exam hall window i can do that_

_Pffft hahaha_

_Where would you even come you’d have to wander the whole prefecture_

_. . . i mean i’m sure i’d run into you at some point_

_Just how small do you think Miyagi is_

_Okayyyyy okayyyyyyy then what can i do_

_. . . just talking to you makes me feel better, actually <3 _

_Awwwww i’m happy to hear that ^.^_

_You’ll ace the test honey you’re as big a nerd as me_

_akjhj thanks??? :D_

_This your high school exam right? Don’t worry about it it’s not as big a deal as college entrances  (which i have next year T.T) you’ll be fine_

_That is . . . literally the exact opposite of what everyone has told me ever but thanks <3 _

_kay then i’ll leave you to do a bit of last minute revising?_

_Sure ^.^ thanks again!_

_You’re very welcome <3 _

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how conveniENT FOR THE PLOT THAT IT WOULDN'T LET HER WRITE THE NAME OF THAT SCHOOL HUH
> 
> next's gonna be a bit of yachi's life at karasuno so stay tuned~


	6. June 11th, 2015

June 11th, 2015

 

_*_

 

_Shiro!!!_

 

_hey hana cat_

_whats up?? you feel very bouncy_

 

_I am!!! I’m very very bouncy!! Ohhhh my god I can’t believe what I just did??_

 

_oh no what did you do_

_rob a store_

_kick a puppy_

_omg are you secretly a very sadistic person_

 

_akjgjfhdsjksjh NO STOP_

_I JOINED THE VOLLEYBALL CLUB_

 

_you did what now??? that’s awesome oh my god i didn’t know you played you never told me???_

_is that the secret you’ve been hiding from me all this time i knew there was something_

 

_Sorry no I mean I joined the boys volleyball club!!!_

 

_??????????????_

_i’m missing something_

_unless i should like call you hana-kun now_

_that’s totally cool dw about it it’s just a bit out of the blue_

_did you come out to your mom too or am i first if i am i’m honoured_

 

_ShIRo sTOp iT I SwEAr tO gOD AKJFSKKDHSJ_

_NO I’M NOT TRANS AND NO I DON’T PLAY VB I’D FALL INTO THE NET OR SOMETHING STUPID LIKE THAT_

_I’M THE MANAGER NOW_

_I MEAN THE OTHER MANAGER_

_I’M! MANAGER IN TRAINING!!_

_NOT THE REAL MANAGER OF COURSE THE REAL ONE IS REALLY PRETTY AND REALLY COOL I’M SO LUCKY SHE’S EVEN HELPING ME AND GIVING ME ADVICE_

_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_

 

_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_

_THAT’S AWESOME HONEY CONGRATS_

_WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO JOIN_

 

_I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED SHE WAS HANDING OUT FLYERS AND I WAS JUST SO STARSTRUCK I SAID OKAY AND SHE WAS REALLY HAPPY SHE ACTUALLY HELD MY HAND AND SAID SHE WAS GRATEFUL I’M NEVER WASHING MY HAND AGAIN I SWEAR TO GOD I CAN’T BELIEVE IT_

_AND THEN AND THEN I WENT TO THE CLUB AND THERE WERE ALL THESE HUGE SCARY GUYS BUT I MEAN LIKE THEY’RE ACTUALLY NOT SO SCARY AND THEY PLAY SO WELL AND SO FULL OF HEART THEY GIVE EVERYTHING THEIR ALL_

_AND WATCHING THEM MADE ME WANT TO GIVE MY ALL TOO BUT YOU KNOW I’VE NEVER BEEN PART OF ANY CLUB LIKE I HAVE LITERALLY NO TALENT SO I WAS SCARED_

_BUT A FIRST YEAR THERE ENCOURAGED ME AND I SPOKE TO MY MOM (I MEAN I KIND OF YELLED AT HER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAIN STATION BUT THAT’S NOT IMPORTANT RN) AND TOLD HER I’M GONNA JOIN AND DO MY BEST AND SHE SAID YES_

_AAAAAAAAAAA_

_I_ **_WILL_ ** _DO MY BEST_

_THEY’RE ALL DOING THEIR BEST AND I HAVE TO TOO I’M GONNA HELP THEM AS MUCH AS I CAN_

_THERE’S SO MUCH I NEED TO LEARN BUT I’LL DO IT_

_I’VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE I’M KINDA SCARED BUT IT’S A GOOD KIND OF SCARED AND I’M REALLY EXCITED!!!!!! I WON’T JUST BE TOWNPERSON B!!!!!_

 

_hahahahaaaa_

_Wow you’re definitely super excited_

_(is this manager gonna steal you from me???? I will fite her)_

_i’m so glad for you hana-chan and i know you’re gonna do your absolute best_

_those boys don’t deserve you forget townperson b you’re gonna be a freaking heroine_

 

_(^///^) thank youuuuuuuuuuuuu aaaaaa_

_(Ahahaha no she won’t)_

_(Probably ^.^)_

 

_hana cHAN NOOOOO (T.T)_

_i wish we had a manager ugh_

_i wish we had_ **_you_ ** _as a manager but you’re all the way in miyagi >.< _

_ahhh noooo i gotta go sweetie i’m going with the guys for karaoke they’re here already_

_i’m so so super proud of you!!!_

 

_ <3<3 <3 _

_ahhh okay go go go_

_Oh and tell me later what happened with that new recruit you guys got, the super tall one! Tell Yaku-san not to murder him!_

 

_hahaha will do_

_no guarantees he still won’t end up in jail for homicide though_

_see ya honey!_

 

_Byeeeee! <3 _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hun she was so excited she even used abbreviations like 'vb' and 'rn'  
> pls imagine equally bouncy kuroo flailing with her when she goes AAAAAAAA and boasting about nothing else but his awesome enthusiastic soulmate to a bunch of cats 'trying to focus on the goDDAMN KARAOKE KUROO CAN U PLS SHUT UP'


	7. June 18th, 2015

June 18th, 2015

 

*

 

_hey hana?_

 

_Yeah? Sorry for the late reply I was studying_

 

_np_

_just thinking_

_is there really no way we could meet until you’re 18?_

 

_. . . you okay?_

 

_yeah yeah dw_

_ignore anything you might be getting from me_

_i just_

_i’d really like to see you_

_i kinda miss you a lot sometimes and if we met we could at least exchange phone numbers_

_it’s been two years you know? that’s kind of a long time_

 

_ahhh_

_I feel the same way too but um_

_My moms side of the family is really traditional I mean like they did the first meeting all traditional for my cousins at the stroke of midnight and everything_

_And considering how my mom’s soulmate turned out . . . I don’t think I could ask her to let me break the rule_

_She’d lose a lot if they ever found out and they would definitely find out_

_I mean more than she’s already lost_

_Even if it was entirely accidental like even if I just ran into you on the street they’d be really really horrible about it, say it was all her fault for not keeping me safe until they could arrange a proper meeting_

_She’s really strong though! I just don’t want to make her deal with things she doesn’t have to_

_i’m really sorry but you get it right?_

 

_. . . ahhhh_

_of course my soulmate had to be the nicest person ever_

_can i seriously come to Miyagi and wander around till i find you i don’t even mind_

_i really would it’d be worth it if i got to see you_

_. . . Hana-chan?_

_my heart feels like its gonna jump out of my chest holy shit_

_i know this feeling_

_what are you thinking what are you worrying about_

_tell me <3 _

 

_just um_

_I_

_I love you too?_

_aaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAA SORRY_  
  
_Very very bad decision to say that afdhjkj I’m so sorry_

_Breathe!!! Shiro!!!! I’m so sorry!!!_

 

_DONT YOU DARE BE_

_YOURE THE MOST ADORABLE THING EVER IM CRYING_

 

_dONT CRY_

 

_HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I CANT EVEN_

_i mean i uh_

_i cant say if its platonic love or like an_ **_i’m in love_ ** _type thing_

_i just know that if like i had to live with you forever i definitely wouldn’t mind_

 

_I feel the exact same way!!_

 

_i can’t tell you how happy i am i brought this up hana chan you’re so sweet i love you loads i love you to the moon and back i love you more than baby kittens_

_i’m saying it too much aren’t i i should probably uh stop_

 

_. . . I don’t mind? :*_

 

_IM CRYING AGAIN WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE YOU_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kuroo flails a lot doesn't he  
> 'i love one (1) dorky rooster cat', in [toa's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyWisteria) words  
> leave a word or two if you flailed too :3


	8. June 25th, 2015

June 25th, 2015

 

*

 

_hana channnnnnnn T.T_

_we dont talk anymoreeeeeee_

_like we used to doooooooooooo_

_ive been dumped havnt i_

_and i didnt even know it_

_i hhope u kno my heart is brokn_

_its that goddanm manager isn't it the pertty one she did this to us_

 

_. . . I don’t know whether I should laugh or be scared right now_

_Are you okay??? You feel a little off_

 

_hanacHAN_

_WHY DONT WE TALK ANYMOE_

 

_We do!!_

_I mean maybe not as often as we used to?? But um you’re in your third year and I’m still getting used to my first_

_And we both have volleyball too dont we?? Its kinda hard to find time to sit and write each other regularly_

_But you re not dumped!!! Of course not!! What would I do without you <3 _

 

_Hanaaaaaaaaaaa T.T_

_okay its kinda my fault too i guess yure right we boht have less time but like_

_i miss youuuu_

_i wish we had more time!!!_

_And!!! i wish i knew all your friends names!! i know like um natchan n shiori but idk any of the vb team?? r u not friends w them??_

_u know alllllll about kenma n yaku n kai n tora n like everyoneeee_

_i wanna know tooo u used to tell me everything????_

 

_I’ve decided to go with laughing_

 

_I CAN FEEL THAT DONT MOCK MY PAIN_

 

_You're um a little drunk aren't you_

 

_. . . no_

 

_Shiro_

 

_okay a little_

_it tastes so bad hana dont do it_

_n u jsut feel dizzy n giggly i dont get the big deal_

 

_ahahahaha_

_I’m not planning to anytime soon don’t worry_

_What the occasion?_

_Oh did your match yesterday go that well??????_

 

 _aaaaa not reallyyy cuz we got stopped at the quarterfinals_ _  
_ _but hey we placed in the top 8_ _  
_ _yaku says shut up and be happy about that at least so yeah_   
we’re gonna totally win all our matches though!! in the spirng high!

 

_I’m sure you will sweetie, congratulations on placing in the best eight! Which team were you up against??_

 

_nya wont tell you_

_cuz youre not telling me stuff  T.T_

_mean hana chan_

 

_aaaaaa I’m sorryyyyy I didnt realise I hadn't told you all that stuff_

_Look I’m sorry but i'm going on a volleyball camp thing with the team (!!!! <3<3) the day after and I need to sit with my mom and sort out what stuff to take _

_I’ll tell you all about it when I can I swear_

 

_promise?????_

 

_Well_

_As long as you're not drunk_

_Or hungover_

_It'd probably be a waste then_

 

_hmphhhh_

_fineeeeee_

 

_Love you ^.^_

 

_ugh i love you too <3 _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This particular chapter would not exist as it is without HaruK being an awesome senpai and taking me along to the local college watering hole for my first taste of alcohol so thanks hun :*  
> Edit 5.4.19: she legit took me along yesterday for the second time when she hadn't even read this and it was awesome fun you're the absolute absolute best


	9. July 6th, 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how to go back to writing normally after 3500 words of text speak idk  
> also yesterday (5.4) was a month since I started writing this let's all appreciate that I actually managed to start posting it

July 6th, 2015

 

*

_Behind Karasuno's gym, fifteen minutes before practice is scheduled to start_

 

Hitoka stared at Yamaguchi, vaguely registering her breath beginning to accelerate like a Maserati. “No. No way. It can’t be - “

He reached out hesitantly, apologetically, gently touching her hands that were starting to shake. “I’m sorry, Yachi-san. I might not remember the libero’s name, but the vice captain’s name was definitely Kai, and the setter - well, we’ve all heard Hinata go on about Kenma.”

“And his hair,” she whispered, slowly sinking to the ground. “Pudding-head, he refuses to dye the roots, right? How could I not realise? Stupid, stupid, everything was _right_ _there_ , I should have - and now how do I - what am I going to do?”

Yamaguchi sat down beside her, the evening sun casting slanted bars of gold across his puzzled expression. “I - I thought you’d be happy about it. I mean, this way, no one can blame you for it, right? You’re part of the team now, so coming with us to the camp is a given. And it’s not like you planned it out before, it’ll be a total coincidence -”

“It wouldn’t matter if I met him because he ran me over on the road, Yamaguchi-kun!” Her voice was more shrill, more desperate than she had intended, and a crow burst into startled flight from the tree they were sitting under. “If I meet him in any way, any way at all before I’m eighteen and without the ceremony, my mom’s family would kill her. I don’t know what they’d - I can’t make her go through -”

“Then just tell her not to tell them about it - ?”

“Do you _know_ my mother’s family name?”

He didn’t. She told him.

“ . . . oh. Crap.”

“Exactly. There’s literally no way she can _not_ tell them . . . we’re not, like, financially dependent on them or anything, but it’s only been that way for a few years now and my mom had to work really hard to keep it that way. This would reverse everything, all of the effort she’s put into our lives in a second.” She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the rising tears back, and clenched her hands tight. “It’ll be fine. I can do this. I just have to not tell him. I just have to avoid him as much as I can, it shouldn’t be too hard, and I don’t even know what he looks like, I can -”

“He’s the captain of Nekoma, Yachi-san!” Yamaguchi protested, the furrow between his brows deepening with worried frustration. “There’s no way you won’t see him as soon as we get there!”

“I’ll be fine! It’ll still be fine! I’ll have, um, manager duties, and I can ask Shimizu-san to help me out a bit more when we play Nekoma, and  why would he want to talk to a manager-in-training anyway? And -”

“And what? He’s your _soulmate,_  there’s no way you’re gonna be able to ignore him. Why don’t you just - it’s only a problem if your mom’s family finds out about it, isn’t it? So then won’t it be okay if you just don’t tell your mom? I’m the only one on the team who knows about it, and I won’t tell anyone else. Ask him not to tell anyone else about it either, he’ll get it, right? It’ll just be between the three of us, you won’t have to worry about anyone finding out.”

Hitoka gaped at him. “I’m going to meet my soulmate and you want me to keep it a secret from my mom? How could I - would _you_ have been able to do that?”

He flushed a little, his skin turning ruddy amber, and glanced down for a second. “I’m not saying it’ll be easy, Yachi-san, I know it won’t be, but what other choice do you have? From what you’ve told me you guys have a really good relationship, better than a whole lot of other soulmates out there, even though you’ve never met. I don’t know, wouldn’t it be torture for you to be on the same grounds, living in the same space, without even talking to him? If he can keep a secret, and you can, and I can, it won’t even be a problem -”

“I’d have to hide it from my mom, Yamaguchi-kun,” she said helplessly, one hand twisting through blades of uprooted grass. “I’d have to beg him to keep the secret until I turn eighteen, that’s another three years. _You’d_ have to keep the secret for another three years. We’ve already agreed that we need to wait, meeting like this would just upset everything -”

“Nothing you just said is impossible in any way - !”

“-and it’s my decision. I’m - I’m really  sorry to have to say that, but it’s ultimately my decision.” She took a short, shuddering breath. “I know him, and I know myself, and I really think this is the best option possible. It’s not like I’m going to have to avoid him entirely, I can talk to him if I need to. I just have to not go up to him and say, ‘Hey, guess what, you’re my soulmate!’”

Yamaguchi sighed, looking away from her watery smile. “It is your decision, I respect that,” he said quietly. “I just - I think it’ll be harder than you think, and I don’t want you to be forced into that kind of - of ordeal. Kuroo-san is the kind of person that makes you want to be around him, makes you want to talk to him, and knowing him like you do . . . I feel like it’ll be really painful.”

“I can take it.” She tilted her chin up. “It’s only one weekend. I _have_ to do it.”

Yamaguchi sighed again, and then held up his fist, smiling a little wryly when she bumped it with her own. “Well then, if you’ve made your choice, I’m your support on this mission! Let me know whenever you need help, okay? I could, I don’t know, serve a volleyball into his face or something -”

She laughed, gently kicking at his knee. “Don’t do that! I’d still like for him to keep his looks, okay?”

“Okay, okay!”

“And . . . tell me his name again?”

“Kuroo. Kuroo Tetsurou.”

“Kuroo Tetsurou,” she said to herself. _Shiro-kun . . . I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, but I can’t let you know._

_You’ll forgive me, won’t you?_

 

*

July 7th, 2015

 

 

_Hey Shiro I'm sorry I didn’t have time to write before this_

_Our training camp is in sendai! I’m excited <3 _

 

_Ooh nice_

_we’ve got a weekend training camp tomorrow too at fukurodani_

_a school from miyagi’s coming, heard of them? Karasuno?_

 

_Oh yeah I have!_

 

_they’re a super fun team to play heh_

 

_Sounds nice ^.^_

_Good luck with your camp then! I’ve got homework and then I’ve to finish packing we’re leaving a bit early_

 

_okayyyy_

_i’ve got stuff to get ready too_

_talk to you later then, bye bye~_

 

_Bye!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun DUNNNNN


	10. July 8th, 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ít's kuroooooo the best boyyyy

 

July 8th, 2015

 

*

 

“So that’s your new manager, Sawamura?”

Sawamura looked back over his shoulder to where Yachi was peeking over a protective Shimizu’s shoulder while Yamamoto sobbed at their feet. “Yeah, that’s her. Yachi Hitoka.”

“She’s super cute, dude. Why’re you crows the lucky ones, damn it?” Tetsurou shifted one of Sawamura’s heavier bags to his own shoulder, falling into easy step with him as they headed inside. “And here we are without even one manager. I honestly don’t even blame Tora.”

“Must have something to do with all your winning personalities,” Sawamura said, giving him his trademark honest and straightforward smile - the one that always had a razor blade lurking somewhere in its depths. “By the way, if any of your guys so much as glance in her direction -”

“Yes, yes, your loud twosome will beat us up in our sleep or drop cyanide in our food -”

“I was actually going to say that I happen to know that Kiyoko usually has a bottle of extra-strength pepper spray with her. And she’s much harder to spot coming than any of the team.”

Tetsurou whistled, giving him an amused glance. “Careful, Sawamura, your murderous tendencies are showing. We’re all perfect gentlemen, cut us some slack, will you? Think about, I don’t know, trying to actually win some matches this time.”

“Oh, you’re going to regret saying that, Kuroo.”

“If you beat us more than once, I’ll treat your whole team to as many konbini meals as they like.”

“Cheap!” Sawamura laughed, heading over to the dorms. “And if we beat Fukurodani?”

“Oh, wow, right for the throat of the champs, huh? If you beat Fukurodani at all, I’ll take y’all to the best yakiniku place in the neighbourhood, hand over my credit card, and leave you to it.”

“Thanks for the incentive.” A disquieting glint settled into Sawamura’s eyes. “I think we’ve got some tricks up our sleeve that might surprise you. There’s a limit to how fast cats can adapt.”

Tetsurou gave him his snarkiest smirk, hefting the bag off his shoulder onto the stack of futons. “Well, we haven’t reached it yet, so I’d advise you not to get complacent - especially since your wonder duo aren’t here yet. Dinner’s at seven thirty, and the baths are open from six to nine in the morning and evening. Breakfast at seven thirty as well. Make sure your tiny manager doesn’t get lost!”

“Fall into a sewer and drown,” Sawamura called after him as he turned to leave. “And don’t scare her, she gets nervous easily!”

“Hey, tell that to Bokuto, not me,” he retorted with just a hint of indignance. “What, are high school volleyball players that scary?”

Sawamura gave him a look as he set his other bags down. “She’s thirty centimetres shorter than you and probably thirty kilograms lighter as well. Forget about you, with people like Yamamoto wandering around, we’ll be lucky if she doesn’t decide to just walk back to Miyagi tonight rather than stay here.”

“Hm.” Tetsurou leaned against the doorframe, watching Sawamura dig through his sports bag for something. The hunch he’d had ever since he heard that Karasuno had gotten a new manager had only grown stronger when he saw Yachi Hitoka get off the bus. “Just a quick question - how does she spell her name?”

“What?” Sawamura looked up at that, frowning slightly. “How does she spell her name?”

“Yeah, which kanji?”

“I don’t know it off the top of my head, jeez. ‘Yachi’ is probably from marshland, I guess, and ‘Hitoka’ . . . uh, compassion and -”

“Flower?”

Sawamura straightened up, his gaze just a tad sharper. “Yeah, actually. Why do you need to know, exactly?”

“Just curious.”

“Kuroo.”

Tetsurou sighed, fiddling with the bottom of his jacket. “It’s a thing I’m trying to figure out. Don’t worry about it.”

Sawamura tilted his head a little, hands settling on his hips. “I see.”

“Yeah, I bet you do,” Tetsurou grumbled, turning away one more. “You’re too damn sharp, you asshole. I’d very much appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention this to anyone else.”

“You got it,” Sawamura said softly from behind him. “Let me know when you do figure it out.”

Tetsurou lifted a hand in acknowledgement as he headed down the corridor, spirits a little damped. He hadn’t been planning on letting Sawamura know he thought Yachi Hitoka might be his soulmate - though from what he knew of him he was probably pretty trustworthy, and to be honest he hadn’t really had a plan to get out of the conversation in a way that wouldn’t lead to that particular suspicion being raised.

_And I doubt he’ll break his word - even if he does tell Sugawara, that’s a guy who definitely knows how to keep a secret. Azumane too. I don’t have to worry about word spreading. So . . . I know this girl has the ‘flower’ kanji in her name, I know she’s attending a volleyball camp, I know she’s manager in training for a volleyball team in Miyagi where the senior manager is very beautiful. That’s a lot of coincidences . . . but why would Hana-chan tell me her camp was in Sendai, then? Why would she lie?_

 

_‘My moms side of the family is really traditional’_

_‘I don't think I could ask her to let me break the rule’_

_‘She’d lose a lot’_

_‘Even if it was entirely accidental like even if I just ran into you on the street’_

 

He caught a flash of motion through the windows, and looked out to see the Shinzen bus rolling in and adding to the racket of the Karasuno team. The terrible twosome of the second year were jumping around while Azumane and Sugawara tried to calm them down, and the others were still in the process of unloading the last of their bags. The freckled first year, Yamaguchi, was firmly taking some of the load out of Yachi’s hands. She laughed, looking sheepish, and ducked inside the bus to pull out the next one.

_Is that why, Hana-chan?_

He propped his chin in his hands and leaned on the windowsill to look outside, mouth twitching when Nishinoya yelped as he dropped his bag on his toes.

_Is that why you won’t tell me? Are you just planning to ignore me?_

Yachi ran over, a first aid box clutched to her chest and what seemed to be hasty words of reassurement tumbling from her lips as he hopped on one foot.

_Or do you not know it’s me? But you know Kenma, and Kai, and Yaku, and you know I’m captain. So -_

“Kuroo-san?”

He turned to see Shibayama giving him a vaguely worried look, sports drinks stacked high in his arms. “You okay? Are you, um, waiting for someone, or looking for someone . . .?”

“Nah,” he said, pulling up his lazy grin quickly. “Just dawdling. Heading to the gym?”

“Yeah!”

“I’ll come with ya.”

“Sure! I think Coach was looking for you, actually . . .”

“Damn, what does that geezer want now?”

 _No, I need to be sure before I do anything stupid,_ he thought grimly as he headed down the corridor. _Sorry if you’re not her, Yachi Hitoka-san, but you’re gonna be seeing a lot of me in the next couple days._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies for any mistakes i just spent ages writing the 1400 words that is the next chapter and i cannot proofread further at this point i will come back and do it tomorrow


	11. July 10th, 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i realised i accidentally combined both training camps ughhh so i had to go back and rewrite  
> this chapter wa swritten now, with numerous breaks to read smutty kurodai. instead of the 1000-1500 word assignment i'm suppOSED TO BE DOING UGH  
> again sorry for mistakes i just cannot proofread rn i will come back and find the glaring errors tomorrow  
> edit 11/4 - i did it and idek if its better but yeah  
> next chapter up tomorrow! mp100 distracted me. HaruK u only have urself to blame for this delay

 

July 10th, 2015

 

*

 

Hitoka sank into her seat with a relieved sigh, the floor trembling under her feet as the bus grumbled to life. Hinata was the last to scramble inside half a minute later, swaying unsteadily as he made his way to the back, and the bus began to move as soon as he reached his seat. The four captains stood by outside to see them off, along with Kenma and Lev, who was the only one waving goodbye.

Shimizu-san was sitting in the window seat, but Hitoka could see out the window past her shoulder, and though she was a little too unsure about waving back when they probably wouldn’t even see her she figured smiling in farewell wouldn’t hurt.

It was only a split second as they went by, but she could have sworn that when Kuroo caught her eye - the only one to do so - there was a flash of motion by his side, as though he was about to lift his arm and wave too. She sank back as they pulled out of the school and pressed her hands to her cheeks, as if that would help push back the pink that was rising to her skin.

They’d talked, a little, one dinnertime. He’d been polite, and probably kinder than he’d had to be. He’d definitely been taller than she’d expected, his eyes a brighter amber, his voice a deeper purr, and she had done her best not to gape at how _real_ he was.

They’d exchanged brief introductions, followed by a genial ‘How are things going? How is it, being manager for the crow team? If you ever get tired of them, there’s always a spot open at Nekoma!’ and it had been teasing, but without the sharp edge she’d seen him use with Daichi-san, or Bokuto-san. It . . . it had been gentle enough that she’d been able to tease back, a little - ‘Shouldn’t you maybe try candidates from your own school first? Or does the club have a bad reputation?’ - and his smile when she had had been brighter than the floodlights in the gym.

After that they hadn’t had the chance to speak much, but whenever their eyes happened to meet he would give her a friendly smile, which she would return, and then they would return to whatever they had each been occupied with. It seemed like he’d liked talking to her, though, however brief the conversation had been, and she let that hope fill her heart like warm honey.

It hadn’t seemed like he’d guessed, either, which was good. Which - which was what she’d wanted, of course. But a part of her couldn’t help wondering how much brighter his smile would have been if he’d known - or how much dimmer? No, of course he would be excited to see her, no matter how she looked or how her voice sounded.

When he found out, though, when she would have to tell him . . . how would his expression crumple then? How would the light in his eyes die and be replaced by pain, by hurt, by anger?

 _It’ll be fine,_ she told herself, staring down at her hands. _He’ll understand. I didn’t have a choice._

“Hitoka-chan?”

“Oh! Yes?”

Shimizu-san smiled as Hitoka sat bolt upright, making a soothing gesture with one hand. “I was just asking if you’d enjoyed the camp or not. You seem a little spaced out.”

“Ah, yeah! I really did, I’m just, um, a little tired . . .”

“The next camp will be better, there’ll be more managers to help out. Shinzen’s couldn’t make it this time.”

“The - the next camp?”

“Two weeks from now, during the summer vacation. You didn’t hear? Nekomata-sensei invited us.”

“Oh. No, I hadn’t heard . . .”

“Don’t look so worried, Hitoka-chan, it’ll be fun to live with the others for a week.” Shimizu-san gave her a kind, if oddly perceptive look, before continuing. “You can go to sleep now, if you like. It’ll be another two and a half hours or so. I know they’ll all be out in the next two minutes, if they aren’t already.”

She jerked her thumb back at the rest of the bus, amusement crinkling her eyes, and Hitoka couldn’t help but smile in return, some of the worry eased away. If she had to endure another week like this weekend, well, she would just have to hold her breath, grit her teeth, and do it. Kuroo hadn’t known, this time, and she would make sure he wouldn’t next time either.

She settled down to sleep eventually, mind fuzzy with vague determination, as the road was washed pink and orange by the setting sun and Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei spoke softly over the rumble of the wheels.

 

*

 

_Did you figure it out?_

Tetsurou stared down at the simple message on the screen of his phone, wondering how to reply.

_Direct as ever, Sawamura._

He hesitated for a moment, then swiped his thumb over the keyboard quickly.

_I think so._

He tucked the phone into his pocket and leaned on the railing of the balcony of his room with a sigh, looking down at the bright streets winding past his apartment and into the night without seeing them. He was almost entirely sure Yachi Hitoka was his Hana, sure enough that if Karasuno hadn’t been coming back for the summer he would have definitely asked her before she left. But they were coming back, so he had enough time - to talk to her a little more, to get her to lower her guard, to be able to ask without the risk of her turning on her heel and fleeing instantly.

It hurt, though, he wouldn’t lie. Knowing that the kind words in blue ink that had accompanied him for the past two years were almost definitely from her (her, Yachi Hitoka, all doe eyes and enthusiastic smiles, first to cheer and first to help) and that she'd probably have avoided him entirely if he hadn’t talked to her first - that she’d probably wanted nothing to do with him at all -

\- it hurt. It hurt that she’d hide it from him, though he knew why.

“Shut up,” he muttered to himself. “She’ll feel it. She’ll ask what’s wrong. And what will you tell her then?”

He rolled his head back and did his best to relax, to let the tension go. But it was barely a minute later that he suddenly had to clutch the railing, heart pounding and sweat beading on his forehead. He knew this, this familiar phantom build up of nervousness in his chest, the one that turned up before her tests, before she turned in a late assignment, before she was forced to raise her voice for anything at all. It was much faster this time, and there was a thrum of very real fear that he’d never had to feel from her before for as far as he could remember. He pressed a hand to his chest and took long, slow breaths, hoping she would feel it, that she would calm down a little.

It faded in the next few minutes, and she seemed fairly okay for a time, though it had left behind a persistent shadow of worry, of sorrow. He was just wondering whether he should ask her about it when there came the telltale prickle of tears behind his eyes.

He had a pen uncapped and was scribbling on his wrist before he could think, as small as he could in case there was someone around her who might notice.

 

_okay sweetheart?_

 

It took a few minutes before she replied, her soft affection curling around his heart.

 

_Sorry I was getting on a bus_

_I’m fine_

_Just_

_Two friends had a fight and . . . I didn’t expect it, I guess_

_It hurt to see them like that_

_It hurt  . . . more than I expected_

 

Tetsurou pressed his fingers to the words fiercely, biting back a sudden wave of painful yearning, biting back everything that screamed how much he wanted to _hear_ her say that, those words in her voice, how much he wished that this open honesty was what they’d been able to have yesterday instead of polite conversation and meaningless cordialities -

 

_oh, honey_

_friends fighting is always the worst, isn’t it_

_did anyone get hurt?_

 

_Well, a couple of bandaids_

_But nothing else_

_They’ll work it out eventually, I know they will_

 

_of course they will_

_do what you can for them, but don’t let it bother you too much, okay?_

 

_I’ll try_

 

_that’s my girl_

_get home safe, yeah?_

 

_I will <3 _

 

Tetsurou sank down on his bed and pressed the heels of his palm to his eyes, not caring when the tears escaped and began to slide down the side of his face. Because he missed his soulmate, he really missed her, and this - this was allowed, wasn’t it? To cry because he’d heard her voice, but it had said all the wrong things; because he’d seen her smile, but for all the wrong reasons; because she’d lied, and she’d left, she’d _left_ -

Wasn’t he allowed to cry a little when it cut so deep?

When she asked about the tears, some thirty seconds later, he said ‘ _cutting onions! And maybe missed you a bit :*’_ and she drew a heart on each of his fingers, stylized and swirling and pretty. That made him smile, if a little shakily, and when he got up it was somehow with a newfound determination.

 _Summer vacation_ , he thought to himself, wiping the tear tracks away and looking out to the balcony, at the stars. _I’ll know then._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how? to write feelings?? idk


	12. July 24th, 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how did i ever use to churn out regular 6000 word chapters i cant remember anymore  
> scuse typos and bad writing pls will come back and reread and edit  
> have more heartburnings

July 24th, 2015

 

*

 

_8:17 PM_

 

“Yachi-san, what -”

“Shhh,”  Hitoka hissed, tugging Yamaguchi’s arm harder to pull him behind the deserted first gym. “Don’t call any attention to us -”

Yamaguchi stumbled a little when she let go, one hand rubbing his arm absently. “Is everything okay?”

“No.” Hitoka took a deep breath as she turned to face him, doing her best to tamp down her simmering panic. “Yamaguchi-kun, I think - I think he knows. Kuroo.”

Yamaguchi blinked. “But how could he - why do you think so?”

“I _swear_ he does, he - he keeps trying to make conversation with me when we end up in the same group and, and at dinner he’s come to sit close by me at _least_ twice, and at first I thought he was just being polite, but -”

“Maybe he is? I mean - maybe he’s just interested in you and wants to get to know you better? It doesn’t have to be that he knows -”

“He’s smart,” she moaned, burying her face in her hands. “He definitely suspects, I know he does.”

“Have your skintalks been the same?”

“Um, yeah. I told him it was another one in Sendai, and he’s been asking about it. Normal stuff.”

“Okay then. Uh, apart from him trying to talk to you more than you think he should, is there anything else?”

She sniffed, looking up. “It’s just . . . I don’t know, I feel like he’s measuring me up all the time, like he’s trying to decipher something. Giving me these looks I don’t know how to read. I always catch it from the corner of my eye, but I . . . I don’t think I’m imagining it.”

“Ah . . . I know that look.” Yamaguchi gave her a crooked grin, sitting down on the grass. “Trust me, it’s way more unsettling to see from across the net.”

Hitoka couldn’t help laughing a little, following suit. “It’s freaking me out enough already, Yamaguchi-kun, don’t make me imagine that.”

“So he hasn’t tried to talk to you in private?”

“Not _yet_.”

“Well, we’re four days into the training camp, and we’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow. If he hasn’t asked by now, he probably isn’t sure enough to confront you about it. You just need to keep on hiding your skintalks well, make sure you have enough long sleeved shirts, and before you know it you’ll be on the bus back home. This is the last training camp we’ll have in Tokyo where he’s still part of the team. Just a couple more days to get through, okay?”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “I can make it.”

“Of course you can make it!”

She smiled back at his bright grin. “Thank you so much, Yamaguchi-kun.”

“Don’t be silly, Yachi-san, it’s not a problem at all.”

He patted her gently on the shoulder, and she sighed again, letting her head fall back against the wall. “You know, I almost bumped into him when I went to get Hinata and Tsukishima for dinner, yesterday. I mean _literally_ bumped into him, I think my head hit like his arm or something when he was walking out of the gym with Kenma-san and Bokuto-san. I just kind of squeaked and ran away, it was so embarrassing.” She sighed, pressing both hands to her cheeks. “But maybe it’ll work out? Maybe he’ll be like ‘This clumsy awkward girl can’t possibly be my soulmate’ and figure he was imagining it.”

Yamaguchi gave her a surprisingly serious look, his gaze steady. “Clumsy and awkward would definitely not be the first words I would use to describe you - but why couldn’t Kuroo-san’s soulmate be clumsy and awkward? I mean, why wouldn’t he believe that?”

“Um.” Hitoka blinked at the unexpected question. “I mean, isn’t it kind of obvious? He’s  . . . him, and I’m just me. I mean, like - he’s sporty, and tall, and, um, goodlooking, and he’s also really good with people. There’s just a certain kind of confidence some people have, you know? You were, um, you were right when you said before he makes you want to talk to him, he’s . .  he’s definitely got that kind of charisma. He’s so at ease with himself and with every movement he makes . . . and you kind of feel like if he let you see what’s underneath it would kind of be a sign of - of amazing trust.”

“Is that - is he different? From the person you’ve grown used to?”

“Kind of different, yeah. It’s . . . kind of throwing me off.”

“So - you do want to talk to him?”

“You mean tell him?”

“Not necessarily . . . just, do you want to be closer to him? Do you want to be able to talk to him like you’re talking to me right now?”

“. . . I do,” she said quietly. “He really, really makes me want to, and . . . I don’t think that’s only because he’s my soulmate, it’s just - him. It’s, um, a powerful ability, I think.”

“Mm.” Yamaguchi leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes against the bright moonlight. Hitoka watched his face, trying to read his expression.

_Are you going to try to persuade me to tell him the truth again?_

“I was just thinking,” he said slowly. “He’s going to know eventually, of course, whether that’s three years from now or three months or three days.”

“He . . . he will, yes.”

Yamaguchi turned to smile at her, nothing in his eyes but gentle understanding. “Okay. Just wanted to make sure you’d thought about that. But we’re sticking with the plan, right?”

Hitoka took a breath, feeling her answering smile waver at the edges. “We have to, yep.”

“Okay then. Just another two days, and we’ll be back home.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “Just another two days.”

“They’ll pass by before you know it, I promise. Hey, did you have dinner yet?”

“Oh, no, I didn’t. It’s, um, easier to go later, when there’s not as much of a such a rush.”

Yamaguchi laughed as he got to his feet, and held out a hand for her to take. “You get jostled a lot, huh?”

She giggled, trying not to look sheepish as she accepted his hand. “I guess I kind of tend to end up passing below eye level, with so many tall people all over the place.”

“Be a little louder, like Noya-san, and they’ll won’t be able to ignore you!”

“There’s no way I could _ever_ , oh my god - ”

“Oh. It’s you two.”

Hitoka turned at the cool voice, and the laughter died on her lips instantly. Tsukishima and Kuroo had just rounded the corner, and they looked like they had broken off in the middle of a conversation. Tsukishima glanced at her before shifting his gaze to Yamaguchi, who looked far less animated and far more uncertain than he had a moment ago. Kuroo’s eyes flicked briefly to where Hitoka’s hand was still brushing against Yamaguchi’s before he smiled pleasantly.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt you guys.”

“Oh no -”

“You weren’t -”

“I mean, there wasn’t -”

“It’s not - what you think -”

Face flaming, Hitoka couldn’t tell if her protests were any less panicked and incoherent than Yamaguchi’s seemed to be.

“We weren’t thinking anything at all,” Tsukishima said mildly. “If you’re yet to eat, you might want to hurry before the dining hall closes. Kuroo-san, you were saying?”

“Ah, right. So the first time I tried it against Bokuto, it failed miserably - which I kinda expected, you know. We were both still in the second year, but he was still well on track to becoming one of the top five . . .”

They walked past in the direction of the grounds, Kuroo’s voice fading as they receded. He didn’t glance at either of them when he walked past, and Hitoka bit her lip hard as her heart gave an odd lurch.

There was a quiet buzz, and Yamaguchi dug his phone out of his pocket to squint at the screen.

“Tsukki wants to talk later,” he muttered, almost to himself. “Crap.”

“You won’t tell him - ?”

“Of course not. It’s none of his business anyway. It’s yours.”

Still his frown did not abate, and Hitoka touched his shoulder hesitantly.

“Is there something else the matter?”

He laughed, short and uncertain. “You could say that. We’ve just . . . got something we need to work out.”

It looked as though it would be painful for him to explain further, so she said nothing as she led the way inside the cafeteria. They ate in silence, with few others for company, and all she could think about was whether the gnawing ache growing in her chest was her own or Shiro’s.

Kuroo’s.

 _Two more days. I can do it. I_ will _do it._


	13. July 26th, 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i give up i cant wrangle these kids anymore  
> the quality of this is probably terrible hhhhh

July 26th, 2015

 

*

 

It was her.

Tetsurou hadn’t the shadow of a doubt, now. There were too many times he’d known she was lying when he asked about her day, too many coincidences, too many times the crows scored a spike or lifted a serve and he’d felt her heart jump in exultation. He couldn’t possibly be wrong. This sense of completeness, of _rightness_ , couldn’t possibly be all his imagination.

But he’d taken his sweet time getting convinced, with the result that he was left only with a handful of hours after the matches concluded today before the teams would leave. Before  _she_ would leave again, pint-sized and bright-eyed, and if she did she would take a chunk out of his heart that was far too big for him to spare. There was no way he could let her go again.

So, on the morning of the last day, he plucked a marker from Kai’s supplies and drew all over his left hand. Sunbursts on the back, vines on the palm, and spirals up and around his fingers to end in tiny smilies on the nails before he taped them up so no one might happen to catch the marks and notice them on her as well _._

He tugged on his jersey, easily tuning out the chatter in the locker room as he tried to think of how to get her alone to ask her. Just go up to her? Maybe enlist Sawamura’s help? Though that didn’t seem like the best idea -

 

_Shiro?? What are you doing???? I thought we agreed not to write on our hands????_

 

The letters were a little less neat than usual as they appeared on his left thigh, just above the hem of his shorts. If he they hadn’t been pulled up as he knelt to tie his shoelaces, he wouldn’t have noticed them.

“Five minutes,” Kai called from somewhere behind him as he uncapped the marker.

“Almost done,” he replied absently, hiking his shorts up higher and scribbling quickly.

 

_hey sweetheart_

_i’m sorry but i need to test something_

 

He could feel her heart jump a gear higher, feel anxiety start to crawl in her throat, and when he walked into the gym for the first match of the day the glimpse he caught of her was all nervous brown eyes and jittery hands.

 

_Test what????? The marks are super visible Shiro people have been asking_

_Could you wash them off please_

_What are they helping you test??_

 

_trust me_

 

“Nekoma, let’s go!”

 

He tossed the marker into his bag and jogged over to the court with the rest of his team.

As he played he couldn’t help but pay a little more attention than usual to the signals from her, desperate to decipher everything she was thinking. He didn’t play at anything less than his best, of course, but he still caught the shock of relieved joy that jolted through her when the freak duo pulled off their new combination; he felt the thrill that rippled down her spine when Nishinoya Yuu set to Azumane and the spike blasted through the blockers; and he couldn’t miss the worry that punched through to the bottom of her stomach when she happened to glance at her hand - her black-inked hand, with suns on the backs of her hands and spirals on her fingers -

 

_It is! It’s her! It’s really her! I knew it, I knew it had to be!_

 

His next spike was accompanied by an exultant shout, and he knew she could feel his euphoria like it was her own. They took the first set against Ubugawa, and as soon as the whistle blew he was scrambling for the marker.

 

_Hana trust me i swear its okay_

_your anxiety is gonna throw me off my game honey :* <3 _

_i’m so sorry for making you worry but i promise you don’t have to_

 

_I’m sorry I didn’t mean to . . ._

_Everything really is okay?_

 

A gentle flutter, a dip and rise in her heart as she struggled to believe him. He drew as many hearts on his arms and thighs as he could before going back for the next set, ignoring the sniggers and curious looks he got when they happened to peek out from beneath the hems of his shorts and the sleeves of his shirt.

“Nekoma, let’s go!” he shouted, grinning ferociously across at Gora Masaki and his team. “Let’s beat them in one more, yeah?”

His team roared back, and they plunged into the game, and for a while he managed to lose himself in the heat of a perfect block and the thump of a hasty receive.

They won that game, and the next, and the next, and the last. Tetsurou grinned as a sullen Shinzen filed past to do their flying falls, blowing a couple of them a kiss when they scowled at him. Kai laughed behind him as he headed to the bench, and Yaku slapped him on the back gently.

“You did good today, Kuroo,” he said.

“As always,” Tetsurou smirked, knowing that he knew exactly how grateful he was for his encouragement every time - his and Kai’s.

Yaku rolled his eyes and snapped at his legs with the towel around his neck. Tetsurou jumped aside, laughing at him as he stomped away.

“Something good happen today?” Kenma said absently as he bent to unlace his shoes.

“Maybe,” Tetsurou said, looking over to where Yachi was leaving the gym with the other managers. “Maybe. I won’t know till the evening.”

Kenma looked up at that, giving him one of his lazily analytical looks. “Hm.”

Tetsurou rubbed his head briefly, smiling when he shuffled away with a disgruntled look. “I’ll tell you about it later. Change and let’s go, we’ve got something good waiting for us!”

“Animals, all of you,” Kenma grumbled, dragging his feet as he headed towards the showers.

“You still love us, Kenma-kun~”

“Shut up.”

The barbecue was a field day for his team, and everyone else’s, it looked like. Most of the players were taking the opportunity to stuff themselves with as much meat as they could handle. It must have cost the coaches a pretty penny, feeding some sixty-odd growing boys - and girls.

Tetsurou’s stomach gave a gentle lurch as he glanced over to where she was sitting with the other managers, his buoyant mood deflating a little. She looked so happy as she spoke to them, with no trace of her earlier worry, and he would have to be the one to make that go away.

_She’s busy now, and there’s a whole bunch of people all over the place. Maybe a little later, let her enjoy the food right now . . ._

He smiled as Azumane placed yet another piece of meat on her plate, and turned away to heckle Tsukishima and Kenma into eating more.

But the sun sank to the horizon all too soon, as though it, too, was grateful for and exhausted by the training camp. Orange-pink light washed over the lawns and through the windows, painting their skin soft and glowing as they lay on the grass chatting. Before he knew it, people had started putting the tables back inside, and he realized with a jolt he could no longer afford to waste any time.

“Oh shit, I, uh -” He got to his feet. “Bathroom. I’ll be back in a bit!”

“Sure, see ya.”

“Mhmm.”

“Man, it’s so late already . . .”

“I think Miyanoshita wanted help with the grills, maybe give her a hand on your way back?”

“Do it yourself, you lazy asshole!” A chorus of groans followed him, and he stuck his tongue out at them, turning away at Yaku’s speculative gaze.

_Now, where would she be . . .?_

He found her by the second gym, deep in an animated conversation with Yamaguchi and Akaashi. Akaashi made some dry remark, smiling slightly, and she laughed with Yamaguchi, her hair glinting in the light.

“Hey, guys,” he said, trying for a winning smile as he came up to them. “Mind if I borrow Yachi-san for a bit?”

Instantly, his throat closed up with phantom fear and his pulse seemed to double, then triple. It was everything he’d felt from her through the week slamming into him in half a second like a thunderbolt. Her eyes went wide and terrified, and Yamaguchi glanced at her worriedly, hands starting to fidget by his side.

Akaashi no doubt caught at least some of the sudden tension, observant as he was, but he nodded with only the faintest hint of surprise.

“Sure, Kuroo-san. I need to be helping with cleaning up, anyway. See you later, Yamaguchi-san, Yachi-san, it was a pleasure talking to you.”

Yamaguchi looked at Tetsurou almost beseechingly as he tried for a casual laugh. “W-well, I didn’t know you had secrets to share with Yachi-san! I, um, I’d love to stay and listen to the gossip -”

“I’m sure she’ll let you know later,” Tetsurou said, as friendly as he could with the pounding ache in his chest and his pulse in his throat. “I’d really appreciate it if you gave us a moment though, Yamaguchi-kun.”

Yamaguchi had no choice but to walk away, though he did give Yachi a light touch on the wrist as he left. It didn’t help in the least, however - she still looked at Tetsurou as though she expected him to rip her throat out at any second. Watching Yamaguchi walk away, he was no longer sure how much of the ache was hers and how much of it was his own.

_She’s so scared - but I can’t back away now, I can't get derailed by anything else, come on -_

“Phew,” he said, wiping his brow exaggeratedly in a last ditch attempt to put her a little more at ease. “I thought I’d never get you alone.”

“W-why would you want to?” she stammered, fingers twisting together frantically, and god, he wanted to wipe that look off her face as soon as was humanly possible. He swallowed the feeling, swallowed the weakness in his limbs, and nodded to the gym.

“Is it okay if we step behind the gym for a minute? I’d prefer it if no one overheard us.”

She acquiesced without protest, following him like a lamb to the slaughter. When they were alone and sheltered from the others, he took a long, shuddering breath.

“I’m, um, I’m really sorry, but I- I don’t know how best to do this, so . . .”

He gently reached for her hand, slow enough that she knew what he was doing. She didn’t move at first, bewildered. When he held her wrist, however, she jerked at the touch, almost yanking her hand away.

“W-what -”

“Yachi-san,” he said, and it came out close to a whisper. “Please.”

She was stock still as he held her hand up, and, with agonizing slowness, unwrapped the tape from around his own fingers to hold their hands side by side. The spirals, the vines, the sunbursts, they all gleamed in the evening light.

Both sets of them.

“I knew it,” he said softly, staring at their hands. “It really was you, it had to be, it  _had_ to be you -”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun dunnnnnnnnn  
> WHAT WILL OUR FAV SUNSHINE GIRL DO NOW


	14. July 26th, 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idek i just hope you enjoy kind reader

His legs folded on their own, like someone had decided to gently pluck the bones out, and Hitoka took an involuntary step back as he sank to his knees. There was too much coming in from him, too many emotions roaring in, a flood stronger than anything she’d felt from him before. She’d never seen him look like this, either - never thought he _could_ look like this, desperate and joyous and vulnerable all at once.

“It really was you,” he said again, looking up at her, tears beginning to pool in the corners of his eyes. “Hana-chan -”

Hitoka looked down at him, at his wavering smile, her mind racing frantically for something to say.

_Did you you know everything all along?_

_Why aren’t you mad at me?_

_I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I couldn’t -_

_Did you know why I tried not to -_

_If you knew, why did you force this, why did we have to meet, I was so close to leaving without you knowing, and now -_

“Don’t - don’t cry,” was what made it past her numb lips, and she sank down next to him, reaching out without thinking to touch her fingers to his cheek. “I - I didn’t mean -”

“Sweetheart,” he breathed, and she thought her heart would shatter from the awe, from the tenderness in his voice, from the warmth of his hand as he curled it tight around her wrist. “You could never - I figured why you, why you didn’t want to tell me, and I - it was selfish of me, but you were _right there_ , how could I look at you and wonder and bear not knowing -”

“You knew,” she whispered, paying no heed to the tears now streaming down her own face. “Kuroo - Shiro, you _knew_ , but you - why, _why_ , you know what would happen if - how could you -”

“No one will know,” he said fiercely, fierce enough that it burned in Hitoka’s chest. “No one will ever know unless you choose to tell them, I swear it.”

“If they find out somehow -”

“They won’t find out from me, and they won’t from you, and they can go to hell and rot there for  -” He stopped short, swallowed the words, and started afresh. “They won’t, I swear. We won’t let that ever happen.”

“I’ll have to hide it from my mom now,” she said, hating how pathetic she sounded, how her voice trembled and broke and turned into a sob. “How can I do that to her? And, and, when you _do_ meet her she’ll p-probably figure it out in an instant, and then she’ll- she’ll know I kept my soulmate, _my soulmate_ from her for _years_ -”

“That’s my fault, the blame is all mine,” he murmured, and when had he managed to interlink his fingers with hers like that? “It’s my fault for not letting you make the decision on your own, for forcing us to meet before we agreed, but - you were _here_ , Hana-chan, you were here and smiling and laughing and talking right _next_ to me and I was so sure it was you, I had to know, I’m so, so sorry for this, I - I can’t ask you to forgive me, I know that -”

She looked up into his face, into dark, pleading eyes and a thin, trembling mouth, and couldn’t find it in herself to blame him.

“I-I’m sure I would have done the same,” she managed to offer, her voice still small and soft and shaky. “If it had been you in Miyagi, when I thought we’d - we’d have to wait years to see each other, I don’t think I would have been able to stand it either. I’ll figure it out, we’ll figure it out, there’s - we can fix this, we’ll find a way. It’s - its not the end of the world, I guess.”

His fingers tightened around hers, and he pressed his free hand over his eyes with a choked laugh.

“I really don’t know what I did to deserve you,” he said quietly. “I’ll do everything I can to help, I - I won’t ask to meet you again until you’re eighteen, if that would help, I won’t ask you for anything more, I just - I’m just glad I know what you look like, now. We can pretend this never happened, we can go back to how we were before.”

Hitoka hesitated for one long, long moment before shuffling forward a little and reaching up for his wrist. She tugged gently, pulling his hand away from his face. When he looked up, half surprised and half inquiring, she paused for one terrifying moment more before leaning forward against him in an awkward hug. His breath hitched in his chest, right under her ear, and he instantly shifted to accommodate her.

“Hana-chan?” he said, hands resting uncertainly on her back, like butterflies that could take flight at any second.

She slid her arms around his waist, burying her burning face in his shoulder. “Hitoka is fine,” she mumbled into his shirt. “And, um, if we could exchange phone numbers before we pretend this never happened, that would - be nice. If you w-want to, that is.”

His happiness swept into her heart like a tidal wave as he pulled her closer, arms tight around her shoulders, and she couldn’t decide which one was warmer. His laughter was breathless and incredulous, resonating in her chest, her heartbeat, somehow washing away the fear and worry she’d carried for so long.

“If I want to?” he said, pressing his smile against her forehead. “I’d love nothing more.”


	15. December 2016

December 2016

 

*

 

“Hitoka,” her mother called. “Come here for a minute.”

“Coming,” Hitoka called back, drying the last plate and putting it away before heading to the living room, where her mother was surrounded by scattered papers, her glasses perched on her nose.

“What is it, okasan?”

She frowned absently for a moment before shaking it away, as though she’d been thinking of something else. “You’re how old now? Sixteen?”

“Yeah,” Hitoka said, a little confused by the question. “My birthday was a few months ago, remember?”

“Right, right. I lost track for a moment.” She closed her eyes and leaned back on the couch with a long sigh, rubbing one temple. “Sixteen, huh . . . and are things going well with your soulmate?”

“I - yeah, they are.” She fought the urge to bite her lip, wondering where this conversation was going.

“And if you’d met him, would you tell me?”

At the silence, her mother opened her eyes and met her shocked gaze. “Understand this clearly, Hitoka, I’m not asking whether you _have_ met him, or if you know his name or his age or anything. I’m only asking if you would tell me if you had.”

“W-why are you asking - of course I -”

“I’m asking because I don’t think you would.”

The words were stark, but there was no bite to them, only a vague tiredness. Hitoka swallowed, trying to calm herself down, and sat opposite her mother.

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I come from a fairly influential family, a fairly uptight family - to say the least - and I was thinking recently, especially after we attended the annual dinner -”

Hitoka pulled a face without meaning to, and her mother smiled, the lines in her face easing a bit. “Yeah. I realised that you’ve probably heard so much that’s negative about them, since you were a kid, that it kind of gave you an idea that, well . . . that we’re living in their shadow, I suppose. That they could destroy our lives as fast as they pleased, if they wanted to. If they ever chose to do so. Is that right?”

“It’s - I mean . . .” She took a breath. “Yes. I think. Is - is that the wrong idea? I mean, they’re powerful, and . . .”

“I’m not saying they aren’t. But we’re not defenceless, Hitoka, neither you nor me - nor even the company. And we have friends among them, though maybe not as many as I’d like. We don’t need to live in fear of them, or worry about what they might do to us, though we might have had to some years ago. Our lives no longer belong to them. They belong entirely to us, and only us.”

“I - I see.”

“Good. So I’ll ask you, now.” She took her glasses off, her gaze suddenly softer. “Have you met your soulmate?”

She opened her mouth uncertainly, wavering between trust and a fear she’d never lived without, and then thought of wet eyes and a determined mouth and _We can pretend this never happened, okay?_ and steeled herself.

“U-um, I d-did. He lives in Tokyo, a-and when we went there for our training camp - he was captain of - of Nekoma last year, so -”

Her mother raised her eyebrows. “You met him last year? At the training camps you attended with Karasuno?”

“I didn’t know, okasan! I didn’t know till a day before, and then I- I spent so much time trying to avoid him, because I didn’t want to - to have to lie to you, but he, he figured it out, and -”

“Hitoka.” She held a slender hand out, her watch gleaming faintly on her wrist. “Come here.”

Hitoka went over to kneel at her side, blinking back the rising tears, and her mother slid her hand into hers before leaning in conspiratorially.

“Is he handsome?”

Hitoka stared at her. “Is he - ?”

“Is he handsome, your soulmate?”

She couldn’t help bursting into giggles, half embarrassed and half relieved, and her mother smiled, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “So he is.”

“He’s - ! I mean, I - I think he is . . .”

“You’ll have to show me a picture some time. And is he kind?”

“He is! And he’s responsible - I mean, he cares about his team and his friends a lot.“

“That’s good. Have you met him more than once?”

“No, only then. We only, um, exchanged phone numbers when we met.”

“Mm. Well, I’ve got a trip to Tokyo coming up next month, and I wouldn’t mind seeing what he’s like for myself. You’ve got your term break then, yes?”

“Y-you want to meet him? Really?”

“Of course. I need to make sure he’s good enough for you, don’t I?”

Hitoka threw her arms around her mother, grinning wide enough for her cheeks to burst. “You’re the _best_ , okasan!”

She laughed a little, patting her back. “You’re not too bad yourself. We’ll plan it out soon?”

“Yeah!”

“Good. Get to bed soon, okay? Don’t stay up too late talking to him. And make sure you’re ready for that test tomorrow.”

“Mhmm! Don’t work too late either, okasan!”

She smiled. “I won’t, sweetie.”

“And -”

“Hm?”

“Uh, try not to scare him when you meet him, okay?”

Her mother barked out a laugh, pulling her glasses back down and reaching for the next sheaf of papers. “No promises, Hitoka. Let him know he’d better stay on his toes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kuroo does his best to be suave and fails miserably, but mama yachi figures earnest and clumsy is a fairly god deal so she approves - even if he doesn't know that, he thinks she's constantly on the verge of driving him away from her daughter with a sword


	16. March 2018

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last chapter! <3

March 2018

 

*

 

Hitoka rang the doorbell and took a step back, bouncing on her toes. It was only a few moments before Kenma opened the door, dressed in grey sweatpants and a huge red sweater.

“Hi, Kenma!”

“Hitoka,” he said, smiling a little. “Come in. Kuroo’s in the shower, he’ll take a few minutes more.”

“What’s he doing, wrestling with his hair?” she laughed, stepping inside and slipping off her shoes.

Kenma rolled his eyes, leading the way down the hall after she hung up her jacket. “He’s trying. For you.”

“Aw, but I like his hair the way it is.”

“You’re too kind, literally no one else does. Anyway, I doubt he’s going to be very successful. Can I get you, um, tea? Or something?”

“Oh no, I’m fine.” She sat on the small couch, and Kenma perched himself on the arm of the worn, secondhand armchair

“It’s kind of chilly outside, though . . .”

“Yeah, too chilly for sakura season. But summer’ll be here soon.”

“If you’re sure. Maybe juice or something then?”

She gave in with a laugh. “Sure, juice would be great.”

A comfortable kind of silence settled for a while after he handed the glass to her and curled up in the armchair. Hitoka nestled into the cushions as she took in the apartment, the pictures on the wall that hadn’t been there last time, the smell of freshly cooked rice, the new green curtains hiding the balcony from sight.

“It’s nice to be back,” she said softly, and Kenma smiled, tucking his feet under himself more securely.

“You had exams just now, right?” he asked.

Hitoka hummed. “Finals and college entrances. Very stressful. Plus the Spring High tournament happening right before that.”

Kenma smiled. “Shouyo was very excited. Kageyama too.”

“Shouyo really was! He couldn’t stop fidgeting for weeks before, and then afterwards he had zero energy for our exams. Tobio just egged him on, I’ve never seen them both bounce off each other as much as they did. Tadashi had such a hard time controlling them.”

“I’m sure you helped.”

“I tried,” she giggled. “But I don’t think it worked much. Inori is much better than me at being strict.”

“Inori?” Kenma tilted his head. Hitoka reached out, flicking a stray strand of hair behind his ear reprovingly.

“You know her, come on. You saw her at the games too.”

“Oh, your new manager . . .”

“Yep, her. Not new anymore, just _the_ manager.”

“Mmm. Did your exams go okay then?”

“Oh, fine. I did pretty well. I’m just waiting on the college results.”

“Kuroo was jittery the whole time,” he sighed. “It’s very annoying when he gets jittery. He doesn’t let me focus on any game I play, not even freaking Tetris.”

She laughed, leaning her arm on the arm of the couch and cupping her chin in her hand. “Sorry about that. I thought he was getting better at blocking me out, though? He seemed fine whenever we spoke.”

“He was jittery _because_ he’d blocked you out. He’s gotten too used to going back and forth with you.”

“Well, so have I . . .”

“You handle it way better than him. It was almost worse than when he was going to meet your mom, I swear.” Kenma tilted his head a little. “Though I wasn’t living with him then, of course.”

“So Konoha-san had to bear the brunt of it, huh?”

There was the brief sound of padding footsteps before warm arms curled around Hitoka from behind, and the smell of soap and citrus shampoo filled the room.

“Don’t listen to him, ‘Toka,” Tetsurou said, pressing his nose into her cheek briefly. “I was a delightful roommate, and Akinori would be the first to agree.”

She lifted her hand to his wrist, smiling. “Hi to you too.”

“When Konoha left he said he’d never been happier to live alone in his life,” Kenma said dryly.

Tetsurou clambered over the back of the couch and settled next to Hitoka, leaving one arm around her shoulders. “Quibbles,” he said airily. “He just won’t give Bokuto the satisfaction of admitting I was a fun roommate.”

“If you say so,” Kenma muttered.

“Hey, don’t you think I’m a good roommate?”

“If you didn’t get more nervous about your soulmate’s life than she does, you’d be perfect.”

“Rude! Hitoka, don’t laugh!”

They talked, they ate, and they talked some more, long enough that and the last of the curry grew sticky in the bottom of the bowl. By the time the dinner plates had been washed and put away, the moon had risen far past the window.

“It’s late,” Kenma said, stretching and retying his long hair. “I’m going to bed.”

“It’s only . . .” Tetsurou glanced at his watch. “Twelve thirty.”

“That’s late. I need to spend tomorrow studying for comp lab.”

“Nerd.”

“Look who’s talking.” He slipped out of the armchair, gave Tetsurou a nod and Hitoka a quiet smile. “Good night.”

“Night.”

“Night, Kenma!”

“Both of you sleep in the bed at least, please, don’t fall asleep here again. It’s really not big enough for both of you.”

“Sure, mom.” Tetsurou grinned at Kenma’s flat look, whistling a ‘Love you!’ at his back as his bedroom door closed.

“Give him a break once in a while, Tetsu,” Hitoka said, laying her head against his chest and breathing in the familiar scent of his shirt.

He pulled her closer, nuzzling her hair. “You don’t know how much he bugs me, ‘Toka, he just plays the martyr all the ti-”

She kissed the corner of his mouth, stopping him short, and pulled back to grin at him. “He does nothing of the sort, you liar.”

The laughter in his eyes melted away, and his mouth went soft and sweet before he tilted her chin up into a lingering kiss. Hitoka smiled the whole time, and pecked him on the nose once when they parted.

“I missed you,” he said softly, mouth pressed against her forehead. “I’m glad you could make it to Tokyo.”

“Me too,” she murmured, slipping her hand under his shirt to skin her fingers over the skin at his waist. “My treat for getting good grades.”

“I knew some of my intelligence must have leaked through the bond -”

“Oh my god don’t you dare, I beat your high school chemistry score by ten percent, okay -”

“Why do you even remember my high school chemistry grade?!”

“ - _and_ my notes are much neater -”

“ - I have highlighters in five different colours, don’t even -”

“ - _and_ you’re lucky my mom lets me stay the night at your place, stupid!”

“Okay that, yeah.” He smiled sheepishly. “That’s really nice of her.”

He looked so deflated that she kissed his chin once, twice, thrice, and he caught it with his mouth the fourth time. She couldn’t help giggling, and when they parted he was laughing as well.

“You should be thankful your soulmate has such an understanding parent. And that she happens to be so smart.” She prodded him in the chest, trying to make her mouth stern. He caught her hand easily, pressing her fingertips to his lips and giving her a sparkling look from beneath his eyelashes that made her go pink to the roots of her hair.

“Trust me, sweetheart, I count myself lucky every single day.”

She slumped into his neck, holding his hand tight. “ _Tetsu_ , you can’t just _say_ sappy things like that -”

He laughed, gleeful at her embarrassment. “Soulmate bond, where art thy physics? How -”

“Stop, oh my god -”

“- dost thou match us so well, so perfectly, that we may meet and love and be joyful?”

“ _Such_ an embarrassing nerd,” she mumbled. “Should have majored in literature, stupid.”

He pressed a kiss to her head, and she could feel the shape of his smile. “It did though, didn’t it?”

She curled into him, smiling against the heartbeat in his neck.

“It did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a word or two if you cheered for these sappy dorks ^.^  
> Also HaruK thanks for making me write these cuties! Hope you enjoyed it!  
> hit me up on tumblr if you ever wanna scream about haikyuu guys and gals I'm always happy to talk~


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